We left Monterey in the morning to head to Santa Barbara. We had decided to stop for lunch so we could visit Solvang, the Danish village.

On the way, we stopped at a gas station. One thing led to another, and the woman who owned the station came over to meet us. When she saw our little boy, she naturally fell for him. We started chatting, and she gave us lots of advice for our road trip. A truck driver joined the conversation, and we took the opportunity to snap a few photos of those all-American “no limit” trucks. A five-minute stop to fill up the car turned into a 45-minute break. As usual, we loved that open side of Americans. Many people think it is only superficial, but on every one of my trips, their smiles, their help, and everything else have made me love America!

We got back on the road to visit Solvang, our lunch stop before Santa Barbara. I absolutely wanted to see this little Danish-style town right in the middle of the California coast. Solvang is located between San Luis Obispo (where we would also have liked to go, but we did not have enough time) and Santa Barbara.

Just as a little background story, Solvang means “sunny field” in Danish. The town was founded in 1911 by a Danish colony and was entirely built in the Danish style. It is a sort of Disneyland, Danish version. 😉

We arrived there in the late morning and walked around this American-Danish town. On that day, there was a little open-air market selling lots of fruit and vegetables. We then had lunch in a restaurant serving Danish specialties. You might as well play along all the way, right!?

Solvang is a very touristy town, but it is really charming. For a few hours, you feel immersed in a Danish setting that seems timeless. You will discover lovely Danish-style architecture, little shops, and bakeries selling Danish specialties.

After this very pleasant break, we got back on the road toward the gentle and beautiful city of Santa Barbara…